This topic is recently getting so greenish among my friends circle. During any kinda meeting or get together... at least one or two would be keen in digging up this matter. Initially I thought it will be quite difficult to contribute, but its actually vice-verse and also a win-win situation. You help the planet by saving energy and you help yourself by saving money.

One of my friend had sent this link http://www.storyofstuff.com/ which is extremely informative and has lot of tips on how not to waste energy. All you need is little time and patience to listen to this video.After watching this video, I got adapted to below points just to appease myself.

Using Daylight CFL bulb - it saves energy and feels like sunny day inside the house

I am using the cloth based floor mop(it lasts longer) instead the trendy paper based floor mop

Once I am done watching T.V, I unplug the wire from switch board, instead just turning off the T.V ( Same applies for the rest of my electronic items)

I don't use bottled water, I have a water filter which does it's job fantastic!

I mostly get the locally grown vegetables and food items

Luckily I am not a shopaholic - I only buy the things which are desperately in need.

Oh, finally I don't have a need of paper towels in my kitchen I am getting adjusted to the cloth towels.

Well, I had not reached the absolute zenith of contribution towards Go Green, just figuring out few things every day and try to apply that in my life style. Currently I am working on how to use washing machine less and save energy? (!) will update once I am done with my research. Till then you all Stay Green !

During my initial days of cooking, half or more than a half of work was done by my microwave, which conquered big space in my kitchen. I thought I am really saving a lot of time by using it, right from making tea to re-heating the foods and frozen items. As you all know, there are so many debates on microwave cooking. Not surprisingly, no one gives much attention to it. Since it's a big celebrity in the kitchen, its natural for us to think twice before we forsake using it. Recently, I had made a little changes in my life style by introducing Ayurvedic concepts and herbs. I want to make sure that I am not doing more harm than helping myself, but microwave cooking kept me always skeptic. I been reading through a lot of articles and doing a little research on it, I was at utter shock to find the hidden health hazards of microwave cooking.Listed the few health hazards of microwave cooking:

1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

I really felt, its very harmful to take the hellish help from the microwave and its certainly inept to be in my kitchen. I have stopped using it... have you?

Method:Soak the black channa over night and pressure cook with turmeric and salt to 2 whistles.Heat oil in a pan and fry the ' to grind' ingredients, let it cool down completely and grind it to fine paste using very less water, set aside.Saute clove, fennel, cinnamon, onion, add the paste and cooked channadhal mix well and cook in medium heat for 10 mins. If needed add water.

Method:Heat pan with oil and maketadka with cumin, mustard, channa dal, red chillies and curry leaves. Add the chopped beans and let it cook in medium heat for 15 mins.Add salt and cilantro.Serve as side with roti or rice

Pic - House of W.ShakespeareMy favorite English poets are William Shakespeare and Wordsworth. I absolutely adore all their work, specially the one about Daffodils and Fairy Land. In my school days, I never missed a English class particularly the poem class. My English teacher had an unique style of narrating poems by using different magical vocabulary which will take us to the imaginary world of arts and literature. That's where my thirst to visit UK begins.- a stanza from Daffodils"I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd,A host, of golden daffodils;Beside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze." huh! Finally I satisfied my thirst by making couple of weeks trip to UK - Stratford upon Avon. Which is a birth place of W.Shakespeare. I always expected it to be very greenish and wealthy, having all the mountains and valleys covered with baby green grass and cute little sheeps. It certainly din't fail to meet my expectations. William Shakespeare house is now used as a museum and they still have most of the house hold items used by the poet in display. I was quite obsessed with the elegance of this place, it has very narrow roads, old buildings and churches which now stands as a historic monuments. I would be at fault, If I miss to comment on the weather which was so graceful in drizzling and making the baby green grass to shine in the sun rays.

From Startford upon avon I travelled to small town called 'Llangollen' in east wales for the famous canal-barge ride. I got a chance to experience the english breakfast with a cream tea( it includes milk, tea, scones, clotted cream and jam). while having the glorious scenic ride in the canal, I was very curious about the sheeps which had a different number written on them in different colors, I asked the lady incharge of the barge.Me: Are they(Sheeps) only for wool?She replied (with her english accent) : No, it's all for Meat!yeah, it's sad to hear that.Well, my journey moved from Llangollen to Scotland- Edinburgh. After spending some time in a very calm country side of wales, Edinburgh epitomizes posh and liveliness. The famous castle in Edinburgh looks so fantastic and the overall city glitters in the night. Still, I have a lot to talk about my experience, but I prefer to keep it in my memories :) To the whole my journey to the land of poets were fabulous!

Method:Heat oil in a pan, make tadka with mustard, cumin, chana dhal, red chillies.Add the chopped goovar and turmeric powder fry well with two spoon of water till it turns tender.Add salt and garnish with cilantro.

Dry fry Milagu and coriander seeds, let it cool down and grind it to fine paste. along with tamarind paste. Add very less water if needed.Heat Pain with oil, add cumin, garlic, onion, and turmeric powder till onion turns golden brown.Mix the milagu paste and let it boil for few mins. Add Salt.Serve with rice.

Brussels Sprouts is a tiny version of cabbage, It taste slightly resembles the cabbage and emits a nutty flavor. It takes very less time to cook and frozen sprout takes even lesser time. It can be cooked in different ways, I like the roasted ones.

Method:Heat oil in a frying pan, make tadka with cumin and mustard.Add the washed sprout and spices.Saute well, If needed sprinkle less water till it gets cooked.Serve as a side dish with any rice and curry.

Been raised from the country of hot weather, for me -Snow is always a fascinating thing ever since I landed in US. During Christmas time I admire all those wonderful snow statues at the street sides, I bet no one need an explanation how lively it will be in New York City!! I wanted to make a snow man of my own, but never got the courage to stay out for long in the freezing weather.During 07' fall, I had been to Shenandoah's since its one among the top list for fall colors. To our surprise it was snowing in there and it's still the fall season, we pulled over to the shoulder line just to enjoy the first snow of that year! There was a snow man standing all ALONE(on the left in the picture) I don't know who made it and when they made it. As I always want to make a snow man, I suddenly got the enthu to make a 'Snow Girl' just besides the snow man. We dint have any hand gloves to work on the snow, but I was determined to finish that task, luckily my brother gave me his expired credit cards (I don't know how many he has in his wallet...Expired long back?) to sculpt the snow to give a lil' feminine touch, a fall leaf in her head and a few black stones to give her a face and a body! Wow..the snow girl looked so wonderful with the glam we created, I believe if the snow man could ever talk, he will surely say 'Thank you for giving me a wonderful company'. I managed to take a snap of the snow couple with my brother's mobile phone :) I felt like a lil' girl who heard the story of a happy ending fairy(Snow) tale.So, when was the last time you made a snow man or a snow girl?

Kulfi is one of the signature dessert from Indians.. even a non-sweet tooth person could never say NO to this slightly chewy and a dense frozen dessert. It was a usual lazy day at office, we had been to an Indianrestaurant in New york City - midtown for lunch. I am a person who don't like eating out, neither appreciates the taste of the restaurant food...cause you never know what goes in there... Do you? We were done with our main meal...time for a dessert! Since, I wasn't really in a mood to have a dessert at that time, I ordered the very first item in the dessert menu just for the heck of it, without even looking in to the other options. when I had my dessert plate on table..and realising that I had ordered for K.U.L.F.I looking at that wonderful pista flavored frozen dessert, small flashback was running in the back of my mind...in my good ol' days I used to crave for kulfi, I never miss to have one, whenever I get chance... jeezz it really been SO MANY years since I had kulfi !! Actually my plan was to share my dessert with my other colleague.. Poor guy dint even get a bite of it!! I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch very FIRST time in a restaurant.. humm the credit goes to the guy who made that pistakulfi !!!

It's a Saturday and raining since last night...and its suppose to rain on Sunday too! I heard that ragi is so good for cough and cold..As I want to make the rainy day cozy I made ragi-onion pakoda served with masalChai. One way, I can get chance to use the Ragi flour which was sitting ..sorry sleeping in my pantry for quite a long time :)

Method:Mix the chopped onions with cumin, fenel, salt, dry methi, turmeric, hing, pepper, chilly powder, add the ragi flour, salt and mix everything together with less water. It should not be too thick or too watery. All onions should be nicely coated with ragi flour.Heat oil, drop a spoon full of flour in to the oil and deep fry the pakoda till it gets crispy.Serve it with chutney or with masalaChai

Autumn or fall is one among the four weather seasons we have. Many says that Spring is the most refreshing seasons of all and it could be the favorite season too, but I truly feel Autumn is The Creative, incredible and most admirable season..the mother nature paints the mountains and valleys with brilliant red, purple, tan, bright orange, yellow and gold. This season certainly has something that triggers the love for nature in all of us. what makes it even more beautiful is,those colored leaves which are hanging in the tree branches with all its energy just to say the final 'Good Bye' to the tree, gets some help from the gentle breeze which blow them off from the trees with a melody!Out of all colors, Bright gold is my favorite.. which one is yours?

During Christmas time in India, My aunty used to prepare yellow cake, which has a unique taste than the one we get from bakery. I used to wonder how much time she spends to prepare that cake. She uses a strange vessel filled with sand to make cake, I thought it can only be prepared in bakeries not at home till I saw her baking cake. Never thought that, someday I'm gonna bake one for myself, that too at my ease. :)) Kudos to my aunt's art of baking! I like cake with cappuccino as my weekend breakfast :)

This is a eggless version, if you prefer to use eggs - you can add 2 eggs.

Method:In a bowl, mix sour cream, milk, oil beat well. Add the cake flour gradually while beating the mixture gently.Fold/Mix the chopped nuts and diced apple in to the batter.Grease the baking pan with butter and coat slightly with cake flour.Pour the cake mix in to the baking pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter.Pre-heat the oven to 245 F bake for 45 mins or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

This is a very rich and filling curry, easy to prepare. I make this dish during my lazy days. Having this dhal with basmati rice or roti is a perfect combo!! Adding a spoon of ghee will make this dhal tastes more divine :)

In my childhood, I used to hate idli. Having this as everyday breakfast is so boring. This situation turned opposite after my marriage. I started loving idli and dosa, though it's a tedious preparation, I make sure idli atta is always ready in my refrigerator :)) .. I learnt few tips in a hard way to make the idli soft and fluffy (Refer Hint)!!

Method:Heat oil and do tadka with cumin, mustard, and chillies.Add the spinach and few spoons of water and let it cook for 5 mins.Mix the cooked dhal to the spinach gravy and let it be in medium heat for 5 mins.Add salt and garnisg with cilantro

It takes slightly longer time to make than regular sambar, but the aroma and the taste of the sambar is worth the time. For me, having sambar rice and deep fried potato fry are the deadly combination. I could never get enough of it!! It holds a very unique taste when prepared with pearl onions than the usual big onions. I pretty much use any veggie available, to make this sambar.

Method:Pressure cook the toor dhal with turmeric powder, asafotida and 1 tsp oil.Dry fry the grind ingredients, let it cool and grinde in to fine paste by adding less water.Heat pan with 1tbsp oil, add mustard, fenugreek, cardamon, bay leaf, ginger, garlic, onion, tomato.Add the vegetable, red chilli powder and enough water for the veggie to cook.Add the grinded paste and allow to boilMix the toor dhal to the boiling misture and let it cook in medium heat for 10 mins.Add the tamarind paste, salt , cilantro and switch off the heat.

Hint - Switch off the heat immediately after adding tamarind paste, this will help the sambar to stay fresh for long hours.

Idli and dosa are the most common items for breakfast and dinner for me, It gets even delightful if there is a coconut chutney as a side :"). It also goes well with ven pongal. I prefer less coconut and more chick pea dhal. You can adjust the ratio as per your taste.

Method:Pressure cook dhal and chopped tomato adding turmeric, oil and Asafotida to 2-3 whistles.Grinde the red chillies, pepper, cumin and add this to the cooked dhal mixture.Heat pan with 1/2 tsp oil, add mustard, mashed garlic and add this in to the dhal misture.Heat the dhal mixture by adding rasam powder, salt, cilantro and tamarind paste for 5 mins.Switch off the heat.

More than Diwali, I like Ganesh Chaturti festival, cause my mom make lots of modak (pooran kolukattai) on that day. May be I should say, I like Modak more than Lord Ganesh does :)) During the festival day, I eat modak as my breakfast, lunch and sometimes as dinner too.Whenever I make modak, I also make Poli with the left over pooran.

This curry stands first in my lists of favorite curry/kottu. Very simple to prepare and taste delicious with white rice added with a spoon of ghee. It can be prepared with different lentils but I usually prepare it with Moong Dhal...it's Yumm!! Chayote or Chow-Chow is easily available in any grocery stores in U.S

There is a lot to talk about Tea for me, My mom had introduced me to kitchen first time for showing me how to make tea. I would say making tea is an Art. I love the taste of herbal tea, It not only tastes good but it also has benefits. Recently, I got influenced by the concept of Siddha/Ayurveda, where it insist on healing with herbs.